Perks: Vacationers visiting Whistler, British Columbia enjoy a variety of resort upgrades and perks when booking getaway packages through the destination Web site, www.enjoywhistler.com. Depending on the length of stay and package reserved, travelers may be treated to such luxuries as a snowmobile ride to a romantic candlelight fondue dinner at 6,000 feet, early lift rides to a high-altitude buffet breakfast in order to beat other skiers to the slopes or the age-old Napoleonic tradition of champagne sabering. Guests of London’s luxurious Lanesborough on the other hand, have access to in-room laptops, private phone and fax lines to make conducting business on vacation a breeze, and cell phones to use during their visit. Personalized stationery and business cards are also printed upon arrival.

Activities: Many hotels offer standard complimentary experiences that would typically cost between $75 and $100 elsewhere, adding significantly to the value of your room rate. For example, the Four Seasons Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona offers free guided stargazing sessions with a professional astronomer on a weekly basis. Constellation charts and complimentary-to-use telescopes are part of the turn-down amenities available for all suites, and no-fee guided fitness hikes to nearby Pinnacle Peak depart directly from the spa. Similarly, the One and Only Ocean Club in the Bahamas offers free bicycles to use on their on-estate trails, complimentary morning beach yoga sessions on a cliff-top exercise platform and no-cost daily access passes to the popular Atlantis water theme park.

Liquor: If you like to indulge but are concerned about the bar tab, consider booking accommodations at an establishment that includes a bit of cheer with their room rates. For example, Embassy Suites hosts nightly manager’s receptions which allow guests to experience happy hour for free. In addition to snacks such as hummus with pita chips and cheese trays, the receptions provide complimentary beer, wine and well drinks as well as the occasional featured beverage or specialty cocktail. Similarly, suites at the Grand Velas Riviera Maya in Mexico’s Playa del Carmen come stocked with limes, salt and a bottle of Don Julio.

Photo Credit: Pictures of Travel Places

Passes: It’s quite common for spa facilities to offer day passes to vacation or business travelers wishing to experience a few luxurious perks during daily downtime. Rates typically range from $25 – $30, making this an extremely affordable option for those who favor saunas and steam rooms to deep-tissue massage treatments.

Amenities: If you prefer both however, many spa venues offer complimentary day access to their non-treatment amenities, provided you have received a spa treatment. For example, at the Emerald Mist Spa in the St. Kitts Marriott, guests can access all of the additional amenities for free before and after their treatments. Perks include hot and cold plunge pools, dry sauna, spa water and snack selections. Similarly at Miami Beach’s Lapis spa, located at the Fontainebleu, wellness clients are granted full-day access to the spa’s unusual communal areas – including the rain tunnel and mineral immersion pool – when booking any treatment at any price.

Enhancements: At the NSpa in Delray Beach, Florida, $80 treatments such as reflexology experiences and hydrating facial masks are reduced in price to $45 when booked as a massage enhancement. With a savings of nearly 50 percent, this is likely your best budget bet, provided you were planning on getting a massage anyway. Similarly, the spa at the Rosewood Tucker’s Point hotel in Bermuda has an amazing 18-head Silver Tag shower experience that is typically only available as part of a more elaborate treatment regime. However, you are allowed to add it on to the spa service of your choice for just $45. Considering these showers cost roughly a hundred grand for private purchase and only about 7 spas in the world have them, it’s definitely a once in a lifetime experience worth considering.

Booking: How you book your spa getaway often makes a difference in your overall price point. For example, the Keystone Resort in Colorado provides a 10 percent discount on 50-minute custom massages when both the treatment and accommodations are booked through the hotel’s web site.

Photo Credit: Serenity by the Sea Spa at the Hilton Sendestin Resort

Volunteer to Get Bumped:

When overbooking occurs which is often in the industry, airlines are often searching for travelers who will volunteer to be bumped to a later flight. Typically, the compensation for this is a subsidized free airline ticket for a date in the future. While it may not always be convenient, if you have the time anyway it might be worth your while. Spend the extra hours during your layover enjoying the Priority Pass lounge in comfort with free drinks, WiFi and soft lounge chairs. You’ll be able to catch up on work and have a comfortable seat while you do so.

Online Discounters:

There are a number of online portals available for purchasing airline tickets on the cheap. One such service is El Cheapo Air. By comparing prices in advance, you should be able to budget accordingly for your getaway.

Military Flights:

Active duty and retired military members – as well as their families – are allowed complimentary access to MAC (military air craft) flights, which take place between military airports around the world. Seat availability is subject to change, luxury is nonexistent and mission objectives will always take priority over your vacation plans. That being said, if you have a flexible schedule and plenty of patience, it’s possible to travel for free to destinations such as Hawaii, Thailand, Japan, Italy and more. Check the military flight web site for further information.

Flexibility Is Frugal:

For business and vacation travelers looking to save money, a flexible attitude is the first step towards finding frugal air fares. Mid-week and pre-dawn flight times are routinely less expensive than other peak travel times. If you’re flying out of an urban area serviced by multiple airports, you can expect the rates for airline tickets to vary sharply between venues. Compare departure locations to get the best deal possible. Also, if you are able to be flexible regarding the items you’ll be bringing with you, baggage fees will be greatly reduced. This savings can be rechanneled to other travel expenses such as spa services, theme park tickets and more.

Discount Airways:

Spirit Airlines allows travelers to join their discount club for an annual fee, which grants them access to jaw-dropping ticket prices that frequently drop below the $10 price range. Other discount airlines include Middle East Air, Southwest and the Irish airline Ryan Air. It pays to do your research and be patient with price points. Chances are, you’ll eventually get a price you can live with, provided you have the time to wait for it.

Traveling doesn’t have to cost a mint. With a bit of time on your hands, it’s possible to score drastically-reduced prices on airline tickets to coveted vacation destinations and business hubs.

Photo Credit: Cliff1066

Special Ops Catalogs

I covered this somewhat in my travel bag solutions post for Wise Bread a while back. People who make their livings on S.W.A.T. teams, special operations missions or with law enforcement careers need gear that hustles, stands up to abuse and holds a variety of items in an easy-to-grab-and-use manner. They also don’t tend to make a great deal of cash, unless they go into the private sector. And they typically have to buy their own gear. This makes tactical gear catalogs and web sites a great source for luggage and peripheral items you need to use for travel, particularly if you are mobile media professional who needs to do photo shoots and interviews from the road.

Hardware Stores

There are a number of travel items you can buy at the hardware store. Some of my favorites include colored key tag labels (five for a buck) that I use for luggage ID, universal sink stoppers that pack flat in my bag for on-the-fly laundry around the globe and door wedges to provide extra security in third-world hotel rooms.

Dance Catalogs

I picked up this little bit of inside knowledge from veteran travel writer Gretchen Kelly. Once, when we were both on assignment in a remote mountain location, I complimented her on her travel pants, which were a wrinkle-free, easily-packed black jersey. She’d paired them with numerous items during the trip, including a white top and black cardigan to form an outfit that would have been just as appropriate for spending the afternoon in a European café. I’d been looking for such a pair, but hadn’t wanted to dish out the 100 plus bucks for the ones I’d seen featured by various travel clothing companies.

That’s when she let me in on her secret. They were dance pants, and cost less than $50! I was immediately intrigued. Like special operations professionals, dancers tend to be the type of people who are willing to work for less money in order to do what they love. And like those same spec ops pros, they tend to dish out for their own supplies. Other packable purchases I’ve noticed in this career field are tanks with built-in bras, sweater dresses and a variety of clothing items suitable for on-the-road fitness, adventure travel and yoga.

Discount Chains

I’m not sure why more people don’t target the bargain shopping retailers such as Marshalls, Ross and TJ Maxx when gearing up for a trip or restocking travel supplies. Most of these stores have at least a small travel department, as well as other categories of inventory that can serve a business traveler well. I’ve seen career totes for women at all three chains, as well as luggage, neck wallets and even wraps and scarves that I was able to put to use for a business trip to Saudi Arabia.

Dollar Stores

Other than the twenty-cent luggage tags, travel shopping doesn’t get much cheaper than this. Buying travel supplies at Dollar Tree enables me to pick up extremely inexpensive versions items that need to replaced frequently. Umbrellas and rain ponchos are two of my faves, but there are numerous other travel products I always purchase there for their ultra affordability.

Beauty Supply Stores

There are several travel supplies at Sally’s Beauty that make my short list. They’re affordable, and have a variety of locations where I can purchase what I need for hair care, cosmetic replacements, nail care and more. That being said, there are beauty supply stores around the world, and most of them have a few simple items you can always count on such as emery boards, bobby pins and even curlers if you have to squeeze in a formal event or two while traveling.

Pharmacies

Antacids aren’t the only travel supplies you can buy at the pharmacy. Travel-sized bottles for security check points, emery boards and smaller pharmaceutical containers for things like aspirin have all made my pharmacy shopping list at one time or another. I’ve also used cheap lip liners as blush and lip color while backpacking, and picked up a box or two of semi-permanent color to touch up my roots on the road.

Amazon

If you’ve got an Amazon Prime membership, you can use Amazon to ship to anywhere you might be in the United States. So if you’ve just ripped a hole in your favorite leggings, or dropped your Nikon out of the river raft, free shipping is just a click away. We also use this when we find comparable prices to other stores we use and simply don’t want to drive the 45 minutes it would take to reach them.

While there are plenty of items I prefer to purchase through traditional travel gear suppliers, I certainly want to save a buck where I can. These sources enable me to do that.

Photo Credit: 05com

For today only, I’ve received a special discount code for the hanging toiletry bags at A Gift Personalized. You’ll save 35% off the regular price, and the monogramming service is free. Read on.

This hanging toiletry bag for travelers and day-trippers comes in black. You just need to pick your initial and thread color. It’s perfect for business travelers, first-year college students and high school students with busy late-night sport schedules. You won’t find this discount code offered anywhere else, as it is a private offer for Trek Hound readers.

The Code:

Trekhound35

The Product Link:

Save 35% off this jet setter hanging bag today only with code Trekhound35

Whether you need a back to school or birthday gift now, or are looking to shop ahead for the holidays, this is a good price on an item many travelers prefer to have in their collection. Having a toiletry storage system that hangs from a bar ensures your belongings won’t be dragging in the hotel sink or falling into the shower overflow at the dorm.

Photo Credit: A Gift Personalized

Disclosure: I have an affiliated relationship with A Gift Personalized. While they did not pay any monies for this article to be posted, they will provide me with a commission for any items sold as a result of this sale promotion to our readers. That being said . . . this is a great deal and a great gift for any traveler or busy student. Your call.

A trip to Boston, for me, necessarily includes a trip to the North End. It’s a flashback both to my childhood and my college years in Cleveland, Ohio. Listening to the residents interacting, walking through the close streets, smelling the amazing aromas that abound in the North End all bring me back to very  happy memories.

When my sister Regina and I took a recent trip to Boston to celebrate her birthday, the plans naturally included the North End. Dinner was our mission. There are so many excellent eateries in the North End that Regina did a little research before we went to pick one. Based on menu and reviews, she chose G’Vanni’s Ristorante.

It was a snowy day in Boston the day we visited G’Vanni’s. We’d made a reservation on line, but few people were on the streets and no one else was in G’Vanni’s but us. G’Vanni’s is an intimate restaurant. No more than 50 seats, I would say. Since only two of those 50 were occupied (by us), we had the full attention of the host and the waitress. It was wonderful.

The ambiance is low light and very Mediterranean with reds and blacks dominating. Italian music plays softly in the background. The menu includes all my favorites – Ossobucco, ravioli, scampi, pollo marsala… I could go on. G’Vanni’s menu also includes an irresistable special — the Veally Good Deal. For $29.99, two diners can get entrees and share a bottle of wine. The deal options were such that we’d've been foolish to go any other way!

An additional plus for both of us — we both keep an eye on gluten intake — was the option for fresh gluten free pasta. We both ordered shrimp fra diavolo and opted for the gluten free pasta. It was delicious! If I hadn’t known it was gluten free, I wouldn’t have.

Basically, two very satisfied diners left G’Vanni’s an hour later on that snowy Tuesday evening. I have no reservation in recommending G’Vanni’s.

Photo credit: Randy Son of Robert

Tahoe’s early snowfall has blanketed South Lake Tahoe with nearly 4 feet of snow at lake level, and 5-6 feet on the mountains.

The winter season is looking good. Snow enthusiasts anxious to visit Tahoe and book their winter trips should take a look at Zephyr Cove Resort. Unlike the hectic and almost urban ski resorts common in the area, Zephyr Cove is a collection of rustic cabins nestled in a grove of pines along the South shoreline and is an ideal place for visitors to escape and nestle into a cozy private cabin surrounded by snow covered acreage.  It’s also home to one of the largest snowmobile centers in the U.S.

This winter, the resort is currently offering up to 25 percent savings on snowmobiling, cruises, lift tickets, meals and lodging with value added  packages allowing travelers to customize their trips to include the Tahoe winter fun of their choice.

Package available Nov. 28 – Dec. 30

December Date Deal – Early in the season bookings with cruise tickets and breakfast

Includes one night’s cabin accommodations, two scenic day cruise tickets and two breakfast entrees.  This deal must be booked  by Dec. 20 and starts at $93 per person based on double occupancy, promo code: decdatedl.

Packages available Nov. 28 – April 11, 2011

Ride, Stay and Cruise – Snowmobile tour, cruise and breakfast.

Starts at $219 per person based on double occupancy, with two nights of lodging, two snowmobile single ride tours, two scenic cruises and two breakfast entrees. Promo code: RSC219PP.

Skiers and Boarders Best Deal package – Lodging only

Bare knuckled boarders, skiers and season pass holders looking for an even better deal can book the package which offers lodge rooms and studio cabins for $25 per person based on quad occupancy,
or $34.50 per person based on double occupancy. Promo code: SKRBSTDL.

Packages available Dec. 11 – April 11, 2011

Two Perfect Tahoe Winter Tahoe Days package – Snowmobile tour, lift tickets and breakfast

Tie in the best of both snow sport worlds with two nights of lodging, two Heavenly lift tickets, breakfast for two, and a two hour double rider snowmobile tour starting at $122 per person. Promo
code: 2perthow.

Zephyr Ski package – Lift tickets and breakfast

Wreck Heavenly’s slope during the day and end the day by retreating to a lakeside cabin at Zephyr Cove Resort.  It features one night of lodging, breakfast for two and two lift tickets for Heavenly Ski
Resort.  The package starts at $140 per person based on double occupancy, promo code: Zephskip.

For more information or to book these specials, visit www.zephycove.com or call (866) 761-6240.

Photo credit: JimG944

Located near Lake Champlain, the Shelburne Museum houses a pretty spectular collection of Americana.  Included is the steamship Ticonderoga, pictured above, which, in an amazing feat of engineering, was moved overland the two miles from Lake Champlain.  There is also a lighthouse from Lake Champlain that was disassembled and moved to the museum and a miniature circus that is pretty amazing.  These attractions are just the tip of the iceberg.

This is a great family adventure.   The price of admission is good for two days, which will be necessary.  The price for Vermont residents is the best deal at 1/2 price, but the family fare — $50 for two adults it their children — is pretty fair for the rest of us.

Photo credit: pdbreen

There is enough budget wise stuff to do in and around here to fill a day.  Boutique window shopping, street performers, amazing food (or pack a lunch), and room for kids to leap and hop are just some of the attractions.  Planning a trip to include Quincy Market (Faneuil Hall Marketplace)?  Make it on a Saturday, bring shopping bags and include a trip to the nearby Farmer’s Market.  There are good deals all day, but visiting at the end of the day is best for two reasons — you’re not toting fresh produce all day AND the vendors are more willing to deal, because they don’t want to tote that produce back home.

Also, the Freedom Trail passes by Quincy Market and the remarkably moving Holocaust Memorial is right there as well.

Photo credit: fuzzcat

When it comes to traveling to Boston from Maine or New Hampshire, one option stands head and shoulders above the others, in my humble opinion.  That option is the highway coaches run by Concord Coach Lines.

Concord’s routes all end at either South Station or Logan Airport.  The price is reasonable — $25.00  same-day round trip ticket through 3/31/10 — and the amenities are stellar.   Some buses have power outlets in the seats, some have WiFi.  Some offer water and a snack at the beginning of the trip.  All have complimentary headsets for watching a movie or listening to one of four types of music.  I have found these coaches always to be clean and comfortable, non-smoking, and equipped with bathroom.

Another point of note is that these coaches run on time!  Portland, Maine, to walking around Boston in two hours.  That is not going to happen with any other means of transport.

Boston, Mass, is not an easy city to navigate by car if one is not familiar with it.  My suggestion?  Make the most of your day by taking a Concord Trailways bus and walk it when you get there.